Maravi

LETTERS - Levy's finances

Levy's finances
By Makashini
Friday March 16, 2007 [02:00]

Sorry, I do not find the explanation given over the money which President Mwanawasa’s principal private secretary Alfred Chipoya withdrew from Finance Bank very convincing. If this money was sourced by President Mwanawasa for party campaigns, why was it not deposited into the MMD’s bank account in the first place? The MMD as a political party has a treasurer in charge of the party's resources.

Although the President is free to solicit funds from well-wishers, I think for the sake of transparency and avoiding such transactions attracting suspicion, the President must not have allowed this money to be deposited into his personal account. Could it be that the control of party finances has now moved to State House?



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=23910

Mistreatment of workers
By Concerned citizen
Friday March 16, 2007 [02:00]

I want to start by thanking The Post for the wonderful job they do for us vulnerable and downcast in society by digging deeper for us. I had the privilege of reading some articles in your paper of how these investors are really misusing and ill-treating our brothers and sisters at work places. I can’t stomach anymore what I saw at one of the government offices where the driver was physically attacked by a permanent secretary.

I would also like to tell the nation how drivers, cleaners and even officers in some government offices are being assaulted by permanent secretaries. We could not believe it because we expect people in such offices to be of high standing in society and are usually above being rough especially with their juniors, worse with a driver.

We were so shocked to witness this PS kicking the driver in full view of the public. This poor guy could not even file a police report for fear of being victimised as usual by government wings. But what do the general conditions say about such conduct and to a high government official ill-treating fellow Zambians not at farms but public offices?
What is the Civil Servants Union of Zambia doing to the abuse going in these offices from senior officers?

We have read about foreigners being deported for abusing Zambians, but what is being done to address abuse in government offices by senior government officers? This poor man just had to resign his job because he couldn’t take it anymore. But who has made this man risk his family being faced with poverty?

If he had responded to these attacks, who knows whether he would not have been charged with assaulting a senior government official at a workplace? But who could have known that this was what was happening?




http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=23904

Corruption investigations
By Concerned citizen
Friday March 16, 2007 [02:00]

I want to air my views on the ongoing land issues bordering on corruption. It is hard to understand what corruption is.

To start with I would like to refer you to the editorial comment several days ago which stated that it was not enough to fire or suspend officials at lands to curb corruption,
The law on allocation of land should be revisited because I am made to believe that there is no procedure that any commissioner has been following which is law from time immemorial, so I am wondering what these investigations are being bordered on.

The President is a lawyer who best understands these issues, he shouldn’t just wake up and make decisions to seal the ministry and fight corruption. What is it that those officials at the ministry have done today that has not been done by others before and will continue being done?

Mwanawasa himself should be investigated as well, the evidence is there at lands which I am sure those aggrieved officials are willing to give especially that it is seen as a crime for Nyirongo and Sichone’s families.

The President should put his house in order before he can sacrifice some unfortunate officals. Let justice not discriminate. We all know that there is so much political influence at that ministry so let a new law be put in place because others have been corrupt and will continue being corrupt with the current situation.




http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=23917

Why blame Levy?
By Milupi, Mongu
Friday March 16, 2007 [02:00]

I refer to Moskam's letter (Thursday March 15, 2007), in which he blames the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) for the display of party symbols at state functions by some political parties - in apparent reference to PF's non-patriotic and kaponya type of behaviour at the Freedom Statue during the Youth Day celebrations.

Moskam argues that the ruling party has failed to lead by examples because each time President Mwanawasa arrives at the airport from a state visit, he flashes the MMD party symbol. For Moskam, this has prompted the opposition political parties to emulate the party in power!
Reading through Moskam's baseless argument, one wonders how a reasonable opposition party leader can persuade his/her followers to uphold what they do not believe in - simply because the party in power does the same foolish things.

This can be regarded as lacking manners then; how could political parties behave like floating elements; like minions? This is why Zambia remains the same because we have vowed to encourage our political leaders to blindly follow old systems of leadership.

No wonder some non-well-meaning Zambians were against President Mwanawasa's policy of ensuring that before the head of state retires s/he must have his/her retirement house ready, labelling Levy as selfish. All we want is for Levy to follow the wrong Kaunda and Chiluba approach of standing in queues. Without shame, someone is even asking why Levy has allocated K1billion for his retirement house before KK and FTJ houses are complete! For Kaunda that was between him and FTJ; and for FTJ's the question is, did he even do that for KK? So why blame Levy for everything?

Back to the issue under discourse. Zambians, let's be realistic and objective in what we say, and in the way we criticise. The fact is that the behaviour of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres during the Youth Day celebrations is not patriotic at all; the behaviour does not deserve any backing, but condemnation in the strongest terms possible. Blaming that behaviour on Levy and MMD is just being economical with truth - whether you are a PF cadre or not. Why didn't the other opposition political party cadres behave so carelessly? They also have party symbols , don't they? As for flashing party symbols, it is debatable and I see nothing wrong with it.

That is every political party's identity. Let Moskam suggest to the Zambians the Zambian national symbol that he wants our Republican presidents to be identified with. There's nothing wrong in Levy flashing the MMD symbol every time he enters or disembarks from his motor vehicle or jet. Are Levy and Chiluba the first people to do such a thing? Come on Moskam!

Labels: CORRUPTION, LETTERS, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 4:17 AM